March 2016 - Detroit Lions Wiretap

Lane Kiffin Wanted Raiders To Draft Calvin Johnson Back In 2007

Jan 3, 2017 2:11 PM

When the Oakland Raiders took JaMarcus Russell first overall in 2007, Lane Kiffin was the head coach and pushed for the team to draft Calvin Johnson instead.

Late owner Al Davis insisted on drafting Russell.

Kiffin wanted to sign Jeff Garcia in free agency and then take Johnson, who the Detroit Lions drafted at the No. 2 spot.

The Raiders went 4-12 in 2007 and fired Kiffin after a 1-3 start in 2008.

Sports Illustrated

Tags: Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Draft, Misc Rumor

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NBC Flexes Packers/Lions To Primetime For Week 17

Dec 26, 2016 10:22 AM

NBC has flexed Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to the 8:30 PM EST slot to close out Week 17 and the 2016 NFL regular season.

The winner will take the NFC North title and the home playoff game that accompanies it.

For the Packers, it's the fourth straight year their Week 17 game has been for the division title.

The Packers (9-6) won the season's first meeting against the Lions on Sept. 25 at Lambeau Field.

"Well, it's going to be fun," Rodgers said after Saturday's win over the Vikings. "It's going to be a loud environment obviously over there in Detroit, we've won a lot of big games over there, but Matt [Stafford]'s had a fantastic year, their defense's definitely improved. We haven't played them since I think Week 3, so it'll be a lot of film to catch up on and see how they're playing, but a lot of very good players on their defense, and offensively Matt's done a great job of spreading it around to their playmakers. So it's going to be a fun one."

Rob Demovsky/ESPN

Tags: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers

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Calvin Johnson 'Not Coming Back' To NFL

Dec 22, 2016 10:57 PM

Calvin Johnson continues to assure people he will not return to the NFL.

"I'm not coming back, man," Johnson said. "Look, man. I got stuff that's going to hurt for the rest of my life. I got a finger that's literally bone-on-bone. This bad boy, it gets smaller. The more and more I do, it grinds bone-on-bone.

"Literally from last year, I went this year to get another X-ray and this is after I retired, I knew it was messed up but I didn't know to what degree because it was hurt."

Johnson points to an ankle injury and a nerve issue in his shoulder as well.

Johnson is missing the camaraderie of playing but is actually enjoying watching the game on Sundays.

"Oh man, to watch football now, I've been looking forward to sitting back and watching football ever since I stepped into the league. You lose that," Johnson said. "When I was in college, I used to love to watch football on Sundays. And for nine (years), almost a decade I was away from that.

"To be able to sit back and enjoy the game, sit back and watch guys that you know played and you might have worked with it or you personally know, it's cool, it's awesome to sit back and say I know that guy because you're more of a fan of that game and that person. But I've only been able to watch the last three or four games."

Conor Orr/NFL.com

Tags: Detroit Lions, Misc Rumor

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Only Steelers Rank In Top-10 In Offense, Defense DVOA (Infographic)

Dec 21, 2016 10:38 AM

The NFL has very teams this season that excel in all facets of the game. Further evidence of this issue shows itself in the fact that there is only one team ranking in the top-10 in both Football Outsiders' Offensive and Defensive DVOA: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are 9-5 after winning five straight games and must beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 to ensure their place in the playoffs. Pittsburgh ranks third in total DVOA and first in Weighted DVOA.

Last season, the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs ranked in the top-10 on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs are the closest team to joining the Steelers in the top-10 in both Offensive and Defensive DVOA at 13th and 12th.

The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots rank first and second overall in DVOA as they rank second and third, respectively in Offensive DVOA but 20th and 19th in Defensive DVOA. The Atlanta Falcons rank first in Offensive DVOA, 27th in Defensive and fourth overall. The Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders have similar splits as the Cowboys and Patriots, while the Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants are the inverse of those teams with top-5 defenses and offenses below the NFL mean.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Football Team, IQ, Stats

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Matthew Stafford Unsure About Glove, Confident Finger Will Be Fine

Dec 15, 2016 7:45 AM

Matthew Stafford is confident the dislocated middle finger on his throwing hand will be fine and hasn't decided if he'll wear a glove on Sunday.

"I'm sure it will get better," Stafford said of his finger. "Still working on it, figuring out what will be best come Sunday. ... It's never fun when it's on your throwing hand but I'll figure it out and we'll go from there."

There is currently rain in the forecast for Sunday in New Jersey, where the Detroit Lions will face the New York Giants, but Stafford isn't worried about conditions either.

"It's going to be what it's going to be. I'm not a weatherman. If we need to make an adjustment we'll make an adjustment," Stafford said.

Michael David Smith/Pro Football Talk

Tags: Detroit Lions, Injury, Misc Rumor

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Matthew Stafford Suffers Dislocated Finger, Torn Ligaments

Dec 12, 2016 1:30 AM

Matthew Stafford suffered a PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joint dislocation and torn ligaments to the middle finger of his throwing hand Sunday and will be required to play the rest of the season with a glove, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The top of Stafford's finger was bent downward at a 90-degree angle and he had no control over the top part of digit.

Stafford had the finger taped up and is determined to play through the injury.

Stafford injured the finger in the first quarter of Sunday's 20-17 win over Chicago when his right hand "clapped hands" with Chicago's Leonard Floyd on a play in which he also was called for intentional grounding.

Michael Rothstein/ESPN

Tags: Detroit Lions, Fantasy, Injury

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Broncos Claim Justin Forsett Off Waivers From Lions

Dec 7, 2016 9:39 AM

The Denver Broncos have claimed Justin Forsett off waivers from the Detroit Lions, reuniting the running back with coach Gary Kubiak.

Forsett thrived in Kubiak's lone season as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator, rushing for a career-high 1,266 yards in 2014.

Devontae Booker is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry since replacing C.J. Anderson in Week 8. Meanwhile, Kapri Bibbs was placed on injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain on Sunday.

Chris Wesseling/NFL

Tags: Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Misc Rumor, Waiver

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